Rating: 
Summary: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Review: This gritty, beautifully-written novel tells the tale of Ray, a soft touch whose generosity masks an urgent need to overcome his personal demons. An ex-teacher and ex-screenwriter, tormented by guilt over having let down his own family, he is a do-gooder who lets himself be talked into spending his dwindling resources on the needs (sometimes authentic and sometimes crackpot) of various residents of the inner-city housing project where he grew up, as well as those of a former student.
The book is written in two parallel narrative threads, one focusing on the events leading up to a brutal assault on Ray, and the other focusing on the post-assault investigation of the crime by an old friend who also grew up the housing project. The characters are not drawn in black and white (although interracial tensions are a constant undercurrent), but in finely evoked shades of gray.
The lesson (probably never to be learned by Ray) is that building up one's own self-esteem by overhelping those in need can lead to unintended consequences far beyond the immediate situation.
A wonderful, moving book, peopled with characters you will never forget.
Rating: 
Summary: Samaritan?
Review: Ya' know, if it were me I'd just say who did it and be done with it already. Then if it were me there'd be no story. This is why we have people like Richard Price to engage people like me in a story like this. I sincerely don't understand the thing with white-guilt. I'm black. As I'm reading this novel I'm opening myself to understand. I find myself getting involved with the characters and seeing how "accurate" the black ones are. However, I'm not surprised because I've also read CLOCKERS and I remember how impressed I was with the depiction of a young black character. Visions of LAW & ORDER are popping up in my head. I enjoy this TV drama. I'm hoping with all hope that this will be more than just an episode of this show. I'm half-hoping that Ray and Nerese will find a way to have a love relationship. I'm pleased and a little skeptical when Price approaches the subject but disappointed when he abandons the idea. I'm still hoping to understand white-guilt or understand if this is even about that. When I'm all excited and all engrossed with Ray Mitchell the crime victim, Detective Nerese Ammons, Ray's daughter Ruby, Carla the 'round-the-way girl from Ray's childhood, Danielle the girlfriend and everybody and the old neighborhood and even Ruby's collection of the old neighborhood stories and Ray's TV writing career and everything, and I'm wondering what could possibly be the conclusion of this crime. I'm a little let down when the conclusion appears to be someone's little explained need to seek approval. I just need more reason why.
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